The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-10-01

Rather Thin Attendance at the Meeting Last
Observation-Disclosures Appointed.

duccd by supervisor to"i""", was P"'''N'
Resolved, That inasmuch a. La Sale count!
Ia more directly interested than almost an!
other portion OF the State In the maintenance
and IMPROVEMENT Of the Illinois and Michigan
Canal. "A mass meeting he called to meet here
In the supervisors room, ut O'Clock =. ",
Thursday. September 10Th, to appoint del J.
yates 10 a meeting to be held at Peoria Octo
her nth. in the interest Of the above object
that committee OF three be appointed L
draft resolutions and bring the matter prom
nently before the public and give notice OF
said meeting.
In pursuance OF tho above order OF the
Board, the gentlemen Of the committee pub
lished call for the meeting In all the Ottawa
and county papers.
The hour being rather early, the citizens
were slow iu coming together. BY a quarter
past one, however, they began to assemble in
the supervisors room, in the court house, and
there was small company OF ci,izehs, gath
cred In little knots around the room, discuss
ing the needed canal Improvements and walt
ing for more to assemble. heavy rain at
about this time thinned and delayed the meet
ing still more, and 1t was nearly two o'clock
before the meeting was called to order.
Mr.. Z. Rowland, OF Wallace, chairman Of
the call committee, called the meeting to or
der, and called tor the nominations for chair
man Of the meeting. Mr. Barnes, OF Rutland,
nominated Mr.. Z. Rowland, OF Wallace, and
out the motion. Mr.. Rowland was unani-
mously elected w. +. Bowman was elected
secretary, but declined to serve, and f. A.
al Tho huir h.u al III
for any business to come before the conyen-
ton. He read the original call for the Peoria
meeting, and also the call for the La Sale
county meeting. He also announced that
there were TO be appointed from this county
thirty delegates, or one for every 500 voters.
Mr.. A. Means, of Peru, rose and made
fiery speech. He said he had spent consider
able time investigating Ibis matter OF the
canal, aud he thought that the canal, or the
river either, was not a. badly in need OF i'm.
proyement and enlargement as they were in
need OF less filth and Chicago sewage. The
more water you turn into the canal from the
south branch the more filth you get. The
proposition now is to put nine locks and dams
locks were put in, they would only be just
nine cesspools Of filth. The business OF the
canal has decreased right along, and is now
decreasing constantly. Freight can be ship
ped much c..eaper by rail. The canal is prac-
tically worthless. The idea Of water shipping
is becoming less and less popular all the time.
What the object OF this movement is Mr..
Means said, was not the canal, was not the
waterway, but the digging OF new ditch for
Chicago sewage. "Chicvgo men understand
this business" said Mr.. Means. They are
cunning. They are talking ship canal and
enlarged waterway, but their plan is to get
the way opened, and then dump their sewage
into this Illinois valley"
At this point Mr.. Shaver, of Rutland, called
the gentleman to order, stating that there was
nothing before the meeting.
Mr.. Means then moved that the delegation
appointed by the meeting be Instructed to
oppose Chcago's scheme, or words to that
effect
Mr. Shaver thought the meeting had better
appoint the delegates before instructing them
what to do.
Mr.. O'Conor, Of La Sale, wanted TO have
the delegates 90 down there unencumbered
by any instructions.
MIR. Barnes, of Rutland, then arose, and he
went for Mr.. Means. He said that he didn't
want any such gentleman on the list OF dele
gates He thought that Mr. Means was work
ing from the railroad point of view, instead Of
from that Of the county.
Mir. Mayo moved that committee of three
be appointed TO report to the meeting the
names Of thirty four deleg ates to the Peoria
meeting, Oct. II.
Mr.. Shaver offered an amendment increas-
ing the committee to five, and MIR. Mayo &C
cepted the amendment
The committee, Ms settled upon, consisted
Of Henry Mayo, Henry Gum OF Tonica, 2. II.
Graves Of Seneca, Mr.. O'Conor of La Sale,
and Mr.. Shaver of Ottawa.
The committee retired, and after a consulta-
ton reported to the meeting the names of the
following gentlemen rs delegates:
p II. Graves, ID. l.. Carpenter, c. II. r.
Thomas, Seneca; Alex Bruce, +. j. Ward,
Marseilles; H. Mayo, j. Z. Porter, j X. Sha
yer, WIN. Gull N, d. A. Cook, Ottawa; A. T..
Griffin, John Muir, Utica; A. j. O'Conor, f.
W. Matthessen, NJ. Byrne, John q. Feldes.
La Sale; George ID. Ladd, A. Means, Joseph
Reinhardt, Peru; l.. N. Dunaway, Farm
Ridge; X. Plumb, L. NJ. Sawyer, Streator; f..
Rowland, Wallace; +. G. Lewis, Deer Park :;
Wright Adams, Mission; w. II. Norton, Earl
Vile; John Miller, Freedom; s. f. Parr, Rut.
land; ID. Richie, Eden; Henry Gum, Tonca;
Casper Fischer, Il. s. Browne, Mendoza.
The report Of the committee was adopted.
The question Of the instruction Of the dele
gates then arose again. Mr.. Thomas stated
that he wanted the delegates instructed to
favor persistently the improving of the canal.
Mr.. Shaver said he was in favor of opening
up the river, and also the canal, In order that
boats might pass from Mississippi river ports
to Buffalo without changing their cargoes.
Mr.. Thomas said that the transfer at Chica.
20 could not be avoided. The river boats
could not navigate the lakes, nor the lake
boats the river; but the opening of the canal
would make none the less difference for that
He was of the opinion that the improvement
OF the river would be made anyhow, and ht